About the job
Our client in Dublin is looking for a Senior Research Fellow to join their team. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of an innovative dual-cell therapy targeting neonatal hypoxia-associated brain injury. Neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the second leading cause of infant mortality globally and a major contributor to long-term neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and sensory impairments. In Europe and the United States, HIE affects approximately 1 to 3 per 1,000 live births.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, establish, and optimize in vitro hypoxia models relevant to neonatal brain injury.
- Validate models for reproducibility and translational relevance.
- Conduct proteomic and transcriptomic (RNA-seq) analyses to elucidate the mechanism of action (MoA) of MSC and ECFC co-therapy.
- Integrate multi-omics data to identify key therapeutic pathways and biomarkers.
- Define and characterize critical quality attributes (CQAs) for both MSCs and ECFCs, including identity, purity, viability, and immunophenotype.
- Develop and implement robust assays to monitor CQAs.
- Design and validate a potency matrix that reflects the therapeutic function of the dual-cell product.
- Correlate potency metrics with MoA and preclinical efficacy data.
- Develop release assays to ensure product consistency and compliance with regulatory standards.
- Collaborate with consortium members to integrate assays into GMP and downstream activities.
- Design and implement cell-based assays for functional characterisation and screening of therapeutic leads.
- Analyse complex datasets from omics platforms and functional assays.
- Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary research team, fostering collaboration and scientific excellence.
- Lead and drive writing of manuscripts, grant reports, and regulatory submission contributions.
- Present findings at consortium meetings, scientific conferences, and stakeholder briefings.
Qualifications & Experience
- PhD in neuroscience, cell therapy, regenerative medicine, or a related scientific field and at least 6 years post-PhD experience in the field.
- Clearly demonstrated leadership in research, a strong publication record in high-impact journals, presentation at international conferences, successful supervision of junior researchers and /or PhD students.
- Proven experience in developing and validating in vitro and/or in vivo models of hypoxia or neurovascular injury.
- Strong expertise in cell biology, particularly with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs).
- Demonstrated experience in proteomics and transcriptomics (e.g., RNA-seq) for mechanism of action studies.
- Experience in defining and assessing critical quality attributes (CQAs) such as identity, purity, and viability.
- Track record in developing potency assays and release criteria for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs).
- Hands-on experience with neuronal models and their application in neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental research.
- Familiarity with neurovascular models and the study of vascular–neural interactions in health and disease.
- Experience in leading or mentoring research staff or students.
